Sibling Rivalry

I have had a blast trying different animals and experimenting with cooking.  While game meat did not deter me, the thought of organs did.  Thinking over and over in my head “why does it matter?  Organ or muscle?”, when you really think about it, they are both pretty disgusting.

My dear friend Paulette suggested we catch a movie and a bite to eat a few weekends ago.  After the movie we grabbed a table at a little French place called La Creperie.  Earlier that week, Paulette had suggested escargot.  Now, the thought of snails grossed me out.  All I could imagine was slime.  But, I knew I needed to try them.  After all, animals eat animals.  They were awesome; to me anyway.  Paulette informed me they are better at other places.  After we ordered wine, the waiter inquired as to whether we would like some pate as it went particularly well with the wine we had selected.  Why not?  Slime and liver!  Bring it on.  And of course, as usual, it was great!

After dinner and quite a bit of wine, we strolled down the street to meet up with my Brother and Sister-in-Law at a neighborhood bar, Jakes.  Ever since my brother, Brian, joined me as a carnivore, we tend to talk about meat and our latest meat eating adventures.  So, I was rather excited and proud to tell him about the dinner I just had.  His response, priceless……”When I was in Germany”, he had just returned from a month in brewing school in Germany, “I sucked marrow out of a bone.”  No shit! That was his exact response. Talk about sibling rivalry! 

There's no Kool-Aid in the Paleo Diet

Interesting conversation I had at work today.  A colleague walked by and stated that she had read some article that ranked the Paleo Diet as the second worst.  I said “they don’t know what they are talking about”.  My vegetarian cube neighbor piped up that I had “drank the Kool-Aid”.  That set me off.  Well of course I had to defend it.  I’m not on a ‘diet’, I have a diet.  I eat the human diet.  Just like cows are supposed to eat grass, homo sapiens are supposed to eat meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds.  I explained that many people have blood work prior to eating Paleo and then have the same blood work after eating Paleo and the blood work after is perfect.  And, that now I feel so much better!  They decided they needed to get their blood work done.

How come when I ate a vegetarian diet nobody came up to me and said “you know what Mary? You are eating a diet that is causing depression, digestive issues, low energy, insomnia, insulin spikes, etc.”  We don’t look at “diets” as what they do to our bodies from a biochemistry view point.  It’s not just about the macro nutrients, it’s about the type of macro nutrients.  We need protein from animals, carbs from vegetables, and fat from nuts and animals.  Yes, we need fat!  And yes, we need carbs.  But they need to be from the sources that our digestive systems can process for the other systems in our bodies to utilize.  Grains and wheats may contain protein but; it is so wrapped in fibrous material that our digestive system can’t even break all that fiber down to get to the protein.  And, the protein known as gluten that it may get to will wreck your intestinal lining in addition to the carbohydrate factor breaking down into glucose that spikes your insulin levels.

Every now and then, I get a little delusional and believe I can eat a sandwich.  About one to two hours later, I have abdominal pain.  Ironically, the whole time I was a vegetarian, I was so afraid of accidentally eating animal fat in something because I thought it would give me abdominal pain and digestive issues.  I thought that my system was no longer able to digest animals.  Well, remember what happened when I first ate meat?  The exact opposite happened.  This is because our digestive system is designed for it.  It’s not designed to eat wheat, grains, soy, beans, legumes, dairy, etc.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I like bread and I love cheese.  Also, must admit I still put cream in my coffee.  The majority of Paleo eaters don’t eat 100% Paleo.  But we know that those dietary components will make us sick.  If not today or tomorrow or even in a year from now, they will continually wreak havoc on our bodies.

I ventured on this dietary lifestyle after researching it.  I changed my diet after 20 years of vegetarianism.  I didn’t decide to go on a diet based upon some article I read.  I continue to educate myself and I haven’t doubted my decision.  In other words, I didn’t drink the Kool-Aid because Kool-Aid is not how you have a Paleo Diet.  For those of you who eat Paleo, I am sure you get the humor.  For those of you who do not, sorry but, you are drinking the "Kool-Aid"

Bacon

I’m going to state the obvious:  I love bacon!  I love bacon by itself, I love it with eggs, I love bacon and an egg on a hamburger.  I love bacon wrapped buffalo wings!  Scallops wrapped in bacon are fabulous.  I’ve seen chocolate bacon but haven’t tried it yet.  The next time I see it, I am definitely snatching some up.  So, when I saw this picture on a friend’s Facebook posting, I couldn’t help but share it with you!

Eat A Steak!

Once upon a time, not really that long ago, I had a little party.  My good friend Lisa brought a little box of cards with questions printed on them for people to answer and this would be a sort of ice breaker.  The idea was that each person would tell a story to explain their answer to the question which would in effect get conversation going at the party.  The first card pulled asked "If you could write a book what would it be?"  Well, remember I was a vegetarian.

When nobody responded, I decided as the hostess I would start the conversation.  I went on about a book I would write explaining how vegetarians could get protein.  Now, understand, I totally went on and on about this as I though it would be a great book.  And, quite honestly, if I would have wrote that book, it probably could have easily taken up three to four hundred pages.  I know this because I have read some long books that claim the same thing.  And, this book may have actually sold quite a few copies.  But, it wouldn't have been effective for any of the readers.

Now, I dream about writing that same book.  It would have one page and three words, EAT A STEAK! I realize that this book would not sell.  But, it would do a world of good and save your life!

Paleo Eating While Traveling

Eating a healthy balanced diet while traveling is challenging enough and applying a Paleo diet on top of that can be next to impossible.  From time to time I have to travel for work.  This equates to eating out for every meal and at times with clients.  Finding something on the menu at each restaurant without grains, wheat, or dairy is not a common occurrence.  Somehow, last week, I did it!  Surprisingly, with a little creativity and cooperation from servers, I was able to either order something that fit the description of Paleo or have it altered a bit to remove the wheat or dairy.

Here’s how it went.

Thursday:  I arrived in Denver and met up with a colleague for dinner.  We went to Outback Steakhouse.  You would think hmmm…chain restaurant?  How did that work?  Well, Coconut Shrimp for an appetizer and Grilled Mahi Tuna with a topping of artichokes and sundried tomatoes.  Fantastic!  Order it the next time you are there you won’t be disappointed.  It is delicious!

Friday:  Breakfast was an omelet with veggies and a small bowl of fruit. For lunch the client ordered out from Jimmy Johns.  I know, you’re thinking bread.  Jimmy John’s has this great thing called the Unwich.  It’s a sandwich wrapped in lettuce instead of using bread. You can also hold the cheese.  I decided to stay in Denver for the weekend and get in some time hiking in nature.  So, for dinner, I stopped off at California Pizza Kitchen and got a chopped salad without cheese. 

Saturday:  I had enough Marriott points to stay at the JW in Denver Friday and Saturday night so Saturday morning I thought I’d have a big breakfast at their highly acclaimed restaurant to fuel my day of hiking.  Their brunch menu did not have anything on it without wheat or dairy.  So, I ordered the crab cake eggs Benedict without the English muffin.  The server asked if I would like tomatoes substituted for the English muffin.  I said “That sounds great”.  And, it was great!  Probably one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.  Slices of roma tomatoes topped with a crab cake and a poached egg.  The dish came with a side of grilled asparagus.  I have to conquer this recipe!  Then it was off to the spa for a much needed deep tissue massage.  Have to give a call out to their spa.  It is one of the best hotel spas I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing and I have tried out quite a few fantastic hotel spas.  In fact, some travel magazine recently ranked it as one of the top five hotel spas in the country and I believe it!  Ventured off for my afternoon of hiking in Colorado Springs.  On the way, I stopped at a grocery store and picked up some water and nuts to snack on.  My afternoon was so zen after my massage.  Hiking in Seven Falls was so beautiful and majestic.  Also wandered around the Garden of the Gods and stopped off at the Pueblo Dwellings in a cliff.  You can bet the inhabitants of these dwellings ate meat and vegetables, nuts and fruit.  I definitely thought about that while I was touring their ancient homes.  By the time I started getting hungry it was around 6 O’Clock.  So, I hopped back in the car to drive back to Denver.  Many tourist brochures and magazines I had picked up and read mention this pub called The Cherry Cricket that had the best burgers in Denver.  Lo and behold, it was right behind the hotel I was staying at.  Score!  Ordered take out of a burger with avocado, tomato, onion and lettuce.  Took my burger back to the hotel and took the bun off and ate it.  It may sound a bit dry but if you have a great burger, you don’t need all that sauce and junk to make it taste good.  It will taste good all on its own.

Sunday:  Funny thing when you have nourished yourself for a few days so completely, you’re satisfied and not so hungry.  I grabbed a few nuts left over from the previous day, checked out of the hotel, and went off to enjoy the Botanical Gardens.  Now, I do think that the Chicago Botanical Gardens has a leg up on Denver’s but, it was very beautiful none the less.  Took a break from viewing the gardens and stopped at their restaurant to have a salad.  (with meat of course)  After I made another lap around to my favorite places in the garden it was time to depart off to the airport and reluctantly make my way back to reality. 

Here is what I really learnt.  You can eat at chain restaurants or highly ranked exclusive restaurants or take out from a pub for that matter and still eat healthy and Paleo.  It’s really your choice.  They want your money.  They will accommodate.

In hindsight, when I was a vegetarian, I never had any issue requesting a vegetarian dish at a restaurant that didn’t have one on the menu.  They always accommodated.  Why did it take me this time to realize that I could also request a Paleo dish?  After all, they are just removing ingredients; they don’t even have to create a new menu item.  Perhaps the moral superiority one feels for ‘saving’ the animals makes one feel the right to request that dietary request.  The irony of that thinking was explained to me in a book I also read throughout this weekend titled The Vegetarian Myth  written by a woman who was a Vegan for 20 years. I plan on explaining this in more detail in another blog entry but the bottom line is, a cow can feed you with a lot less loss of life in the same amount of time and with a lot less damage to the environment than the amount of grain it would take to feed you in that same amount of time.  Again, I will write more about this later and this is probably another statement that will garner me some unpopularity.  Oh well, sometimes the truth is hard but it is necessary. 

Come on, you knew I couldn’t stop at the beautiful scenery and great food and not resist relating this to my vegetarian days!

Denial

Vegetarians have an uncanny way of being able to justify all the aliments that accompany a vegetarian lifestyle.

Just the other day, my vegetarian neighbor at work was telling me how she doesn't sleep through the night.  The night before she woke up three times.  Sound familiar?  Now I try not to preach to her even though I would love to convert her.  This time I couldn't bite my tongue any longer.  I looked at her and said "You aren't going to want to hear this but; I didn't sleep through the night until I started eating meat".  Of course she came up with a list of reasons why that wasn't the cause.  Her mother was a light sleeper, there was a storm, who knows maybe the cat meowed.  I went on to explain that my brother had the same experience and every vegetarian I know or have read about who started eating meat again slept fine immediately after eating meat.  She still didn't believe me.  I just stared at her.  Then she said "maybe".  OMG

Another vegetarian has moved into my area at work.  I told you, they are raining down on me.  In my cube I have a colorful picture that reads "Be Happy Now".  She stopped by to comment on it because she really liked it.  I realized that when I first printed it out and hung it up I was a vegetarian and really needed external inspiration to be happy.  I didn't tell her this as when I first told her I was eating meat she snapped at me.  So, I thought it best to keep my experience to myself when speaking with her.  While talking about this picture, she made a comment which I can't remember but it lead me to believe that she works at being happy and nice.  Sound familiar?

Maybe I should sniff these people and see if they smell like dead leaves!

Vegetarians don't want to admit that the lifestyle they have chosen is causing them harm.  Maybe it's like when an alcoholic can't admit they have a drinking problem.  Now that statement is probably going to get me as much popularity as when I stated vegetarianism is an eating disorder.  Oh well, this new mission of mine to convert vegetarians into carnivores may not always be easy but it is something I feel I need to do.  I just haven't figured out the right tools or approach.  Suggestions?

Vegetarian Angst

You know that irritable feeling you get when you’re hungry?  Imagine having that feeling all the time.  Now, think about all the Vegetarians you know.  Do they seem to be apt to snap more so than the Carnivores you know?  Well, if you agree with what I am suggesting, I’m not surprised. 

When we obtain our protein from plant sources our blood sugar levels go up and down and up and down.  When we eat a balanced diet with animal protein in the form of flesh, our blood sugar levels stay level.  A drop in blood sugar makes anyone a bit cranky.  Biologically, our bodies are designed to do this.  It’s a built in mechanism left over from our hunter and gatherer days when we needed to get aggressive and go kill some animals to feed on.

I remember having to make myself be “nice” because I was so darn hungry, starving actually, that my body was flipping into that aggressive hunter mode because it wanted meat.  No matter how much I ate, the only things that ever truly satiated me were eggs or protein powder.  Now, I get a little cranky and realize I need to feed on meat.

So, eat meat and be happy!

Chicago Ribfest

I was planning on writing a review of all the ribs I sampled at the Chicago Ribfest.  However, the best ribs I had that day you couldn't buy.  After a few orders of ribs, my friend Sharon and I were feeling full and thought we would step aside and people watch.  We decided to do so as we were right next to a fairly long line alongside the Wright Bacon Smoker truck (it is huge).  Wright Bacon was giving out Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Wings.  So, obviously there was a line.  Sharon suggested we get in line.  I thought, why not? 

When we got to the Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Wings, I felt this need to tell the man serving them that I had been a vegetarian for 20 years and had been eating meat for 3 months.  Well, you would have thought he hit the jackpot!  I think he was more excited than I was.  He called over his colleague and had him take a photo of me eating their bacon.  Explaining my story they invited us back to their smoker truck for ribs at 6 O'clock.  Now, these ribs were to be their dinner.  They were not ribs for sale at the fest.  Of course I went back at 6 and honestly, they were the best ribs on the street!  THANK YOU WRIGHT BACON!

I don't know what it is but every now and then I have the urge to tell the person serving me meat my recovering vegetarian story.  I don't tell every person who has served me meat, just those that are doing so while the spirit moves me so to speak.  I have to say, nobody has let me down yet when I explain it.  In fact, they are very happy for me.  And let me tell you, after the wonderful bacon and later ribs, I was very happy that I had shared my story.

“I’ll Have The Sausage”

When I wrote about Vegetarians Raining Down On Me there was one person I left out, my brother.  He had been my fellow Vegetarian through all these years.  It was always great to have someone at holidays, family gatherings, and restaurants with me who also didn’t eat meat.  I had a partner in crime. 

When I started eating meat I was a bit nervous about telling him as I thought he would have a negative reaction.  Once a month my brother, Brian, his wife, Rachel, and I go out to dinner together.  On the way to our monthly outing, I told him that I had started eating meat.  To my surprise, he told me that he had starting wondering why he didn’t eat meat.  I was so relived.  Secretly, I hoped that I could bring him over to the dark side.  After experiencing all the positive changes, I wanted him to benefit as well. 

Two months later, we met for a drink after work.  I needed someone to talk to about a bad situation I was having with a friend.  I actually stuck up for myself and this caused a bit of a rift.  There is no scientific evidence for this but since eating meat I tend not to let people walk over me anymore.  I stand up for myself.  I like to link this to ‘taking the essence of the animal inside of you’.  Explaining this to Brian and discussing all the physical changes that have taken place, I asked him if he had read my blog.  He wasn’t even aware of it.  So, the very next day I forwarded the link to him.  He read it.  The day after he read it, we met for our monthly dinner.

While waiting for his wife, we talked about my blog and he mentioned that he thought he would start eating meat within the next year.  Understanding the process I went through to make the decision and then act on it, I didn’t push it.  Nor did I expect what happened next.  Rachel arrived and we placed our orders.  Brian ordered the mac-n-cheese chili special.  I looked at him and said “Brian, you better ask if there is meat in the chili”.   The waitress replied that it had turkey in it.  He opened up the menu and said “I’ll have the sausage”. 

I was thrilled!  Now, I had to work hard to contain my excitement.  A few days prior I had been thinking that if I could reach one vegetarian through this blog then writing it was worth it.  Also, I new this was his moment and I didn’t want to make it about me.  This was about him.  But, I have a sneaky suspicion that I was smiling all through dinner.  I did however; make a toast; to Brian coming over to the dark side.  After dinner when he went to the bathroom, his wife looked at me and said “I had no idea he was going to do that”.  I said “neither did I”.  I was so excited!  My partner in crime was back!

The following day he emailed me and said thanks for being there and told me he slept like he hasn’t in 15 years.  Since then, he has experienced some physical changes and told me he didn’t expect to see such results so instantly.  He had knee problems that are gone.  He has Roseca so bad that he takes medication for it.  He had a break out and it cleared up in a day.  His wife mentioned that he was quite after that first sausage.  My brother confirmed that he also experienced the calmness you feel after your body finally receives the protein it needs from meat.  After starving your body for so long, you feel so content after that first piece of carnage, calmness takes over.

Here is the bottom line; we are SUPPOSED to eat meat! 

“It’s like giving bacon to a starving vegetarian” – Stage Kiss

Saw a new play, Stage Kiss, at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.  I Had dinner beforehand with an old friend who had never seen me eat meat.  When we heard this line in the play “It’s like giving bacon to a starving vegetarian” we both started laughing.

Throughout the next few days that line from the play stuck with me.  Every vegetarian is starving in a sense.  Robb Wolf writes that when having a vegetarian diet you can survive but you can’t strive.  When you are not fulfilling your dietary needs part of you is starving.  I look back now and wonder, in my vegetarian days would I have eaten bacon if I was starving?  If you would have asked me that question three months ago I probably naively would have said no.  Now, give me bacon (the thick meaty kind) when I am starving or full and yes I’ll eat it!  And, I’ll love it!   And, I’ll know it is the protein and type of fat my body strives on.

This next statement may not sit well with many but I have come to looking at vegetarianism as an eating disorder.  Vegetarians, myself previously included in this group, like to delude themselves with the idea that it is a healthy lifestyle.  They even use environmental reasons to justify that ‘lifestyle’.  You can eat locally.  You don’t have to use harming the environment to ultimately harm yourself.  I've never had a traditional eating disorder but isn't starving your body basically that?  My understand of eating disorders is that they stem from some psychological base.  For me, vegetarianism definately stemed from some sort of self imposed atonement.  I am sure I will have more to say on this later but right now I am still working through it all.  Until then, I'll keep recovering!

Vegetarians Raining Down on Me :)

Recently, I moved to a different department at work.  I really like my new position and with it came a move to a different desk to be with the rest of the team.  Low and behold I am seated next to a Vegetarian.  Now, I have known her and she knew I started eating meat.  She doesn't say much about it and neither do I.  However, she started working out with a personal trainer.  Watching her try to find protein sources reminds me of my struggle trying to do the same.  Protein powder, almond butter, dairy, etc. while they may have protein it's not necessarily complete protein.  Your body does not process protein from grains and other alternative sources the same.  I know what a struggle it is and I just want to say "eat a steak"!  But, we all know there is nothing worse than a reformed whore.

It reminds me of how many changes I have experienced.  As I told you earlier, I sleep through the night now.  In addition, I use to have digestive issues.  Those are gone and so is the depression that manifested after I stopped eating meat.  I have more energy and feel more content.  One thing I recently noticed sounds strange but honestly, I smell better.  In my vegetarian days I hated how I smelt.  I smelt like dead leaves, like autumn.  Now, I'm not sure how to describe how I smell (probably just like other carnivores) but it's not like dead leaves.

Made my weekly run to Whole Foods today and wanted to pick up some more of that lemon rosemary turkey breast slices.  They were out so I inquired about the maple honey turkey breast.  The woman assisting me commented that it sells well but she doesn't eat meat so would I like to taste a sample.  Of course I said yes.  I had to tell her that I had eaten meatless for 20 years and just started eating meat.  The woman standing to the right of me chimed in that she had been a vegetarian for 12 years and began explaining the differences in taste and texture of all the different turkey options.  My God, when I was a vegetarian I was surrounded by meat eaters.  Now, they are all over the place!  Vegetarians are raining down on me.  Am I supposed to be the teacher?  Is the student ready? (reference the Buddhist saying I started this blog by quoting)

Watching Top Chef Masters on Bravo there is this vegetarian chef.  He just went on and on about how meat is bad for you and he works with nutritionists so you should eat a vegi burger instead of a meat burger.  I want to scream at him.  He has no clue!  This is a cooking contest for the Biggest Loser contestants.  They are working out all day.  They need animal protein.  He is in the bottom three.  Justice is being served.  He got on his soap box talking about obesity.  One of the judges responded that you can't link obesity in this country to eating meat.  Exactly!  It's linked to corn, wheat, and grains if you really want to face the truth.  Well, looks like he has to pack his knife's.  He's the biggest loser today.

One more thing off topic, today I weighed myself at the gym and have lost 2 more pounds.  YEAH!

Shrimp Salad

Today I made up this simple salad and loved how light and refreshing it was.  I was also quite happy that I came up with the recipe all by myself.

4 oz salad shrimp
1/2 avocado
1/2 tomato
1/2 lemon

chop up the avocado and tomato, add the shrimp.  Stir it up then squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon.  Stir again and eat!  This is enough for one serving so obviously if you want to make it for more people multiple the ingredients accordingly.

I sliced the other half of the avocado and wrapped them in some turkey slices I bought yesterday.  Turned into a great snack.

Steak Junkie

Well I haven't been posting much lately so I will try to write more often.  It's week six and not much has changed.  I had another biosig yesterday and lost two pounds.  Zach thinks it was fluid.  He explained that when I started eating meat my body most likely retained more fluid due to sodium.  Now, my body is leveling out so to speak. 

Friday night I met a friend out for dinner at Wildfire.  While I had been there multiple times in my meatless days, this was the first time as a carnivore.  YUM.  OMG, this is what I remember steak tasting like.  I had the three medallion filet mignon, one crusted with mushroom, another parmesan, and the third with a peppercorn sauce.  Of course we had salad and a side of steamed brocolli too.  But the steak was definately the main event.  Must also give a call out to the flourless chocolate cake for dessert, delicious!  I could definately become a steak junkie.

Picked up my weekly chicken breasts from Whole Foods.  They had a new turkey breast loaf thing that they cut slices for you from.  I don't know what you call it but you get the idea.  Lemon rosemary turkey breast slices, I can't stop eating them.  In fact, I just had some for breakfast along with a hard boiled egg and pear slices.

I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that every now and then I still get a little weirded out about the fact that I am eating something that use to walk around.  I just remember 'you have to take the essence of the animal inside of you' and I get over it.

Recipe - Ground Bison over Green Beans

I tried a new recipe from, you guessed it, the Paleo Solution.  It was yummy so I wanted to share it with  you all.

1 lb Ground Meat (I used Bison)
1 lb Green Beans
1 Jar Marinara Sauce
Olive Oil
Seasoning

Fry Bison in Olive Oil on medium in a frying pan.  Add seasoning to your liking. Add Marinara Sauce.  Serve over fresh green beans.  This made enough for 3-4 meals depending on how hungry you are.  The spice I used was a chophouse seasoning from Simply Organic.  It is a combination of garlic, sea salt, black pepper, dill seed, coriander, and chili peppers.

Chicken or the Egg?

Got this in an email from my aunt Lorrie and thought it was funny considering my new revelations.

Week Four

Time for another biosig.  I gained 4 pounds, 4 solid pounds, of muscle!  AMAZING!  To gain that much muscle in such a short time is crazy.  My body has to be so happy.  It is finally able to rebuild after I workout.  Many colleagues have commented throughout these weeks that I seem to have more energy and my skin looks better.  One even told me I seemed happier.  Go figure.  You do the math.  However you want to phrase it, it’s working.  “You should write a blog about this” I heard from multiple people.  So, I’m writing this blog.

Something that I find funny is that there are so many things I don’t know about purchasing meat.  Thank God for the butchers at Whole Foods.  FYI, they are very knowledgeable. For example, went to buy some ground Bison as I was told it was tasty and lean.  I had no idea of how much to buy.  I had no idea what a pound looked like.  When trying to tell the butcher how much I wanted he was looking at me like I was from outer space.  I had to explain that I just started eating meat a month ago and boom, a wealth of information about Bison came out of his mouth.     

Week Three

I posted on Facebook that after 20 years of vegetarianism I was eating meat.  Now that it’s on Facebook it must be for real!  Many responses followed.  One in particular I had to comment back on.  An old friend from college commented that when she told her daughter who is a vegetarian that I was eating meat, her daughter’s response was that it was a tragedy.  My comment back was that the real tragedy was not giving your body the nutrients it truly needs.  She then added ‘will you email or call her because she will not listen to me and she is not growing and developing'.  Understand that this child is only 11.  I called my friend and told her to read Robb Wolf’s book and that I could visit and we could talk with her together.  This led me to a lot of thinking. 

I became a vegetarian at the age of 20.  Development into an adult had already happened.  This child was preventing the natural physical development of her body.  Why?  The decision to stop eating meat evolved out of my feelings of guilt for eating something that had been alive.  I believe animals have souls and that hasn’t changed. But animals eat animals.  There are animals that would eat me.  Of course, I stay away from them unless looking at them in a zoo.  The longer I pondered this, the more I connected this decision with self worth issues.  Had I not felt worthy of taking life to live?  It is a question I still struggle with.  But, I do know that we are supposed to eat meat.  We are a part of nature no matter how superior we think we are.

There is something in the book The Paleo Solution that I have made my new grace.

1. It has to have a face.
2. It has to have a soul.
3. You have to kill it and bring the essence of the animal inside you.
4. Really!

I think when I read this it was really the turning point in my thinking.  Bringing the essence of the animal inside you is respectful of that animal’s life.  While we may need to kill them we can respect their life and soul while they are alive.  This is why I purchase my meat at Whole Foods where they sell cage free, grass feed, etc. meat.

Week Two

This was the first week I cooked any flesh.  Stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a stuffed chicken breast and 4 plain chicken breasts.  Cooked the stuffed chicken breast and could not believe how good it tasted.  The other 4 I baked in the oven with Italian Dressing and used those for my lunch the next week.  This week my trainer wanted to do a biosig, which entails measuring my fat and calculating my body composition. This would be the baseline so we could track the changes in my body taking place due to my new diet.  We took photos too.

Week One

The first week, I pretty much just added chicken to whatever I was eating for lunch.  But on the Friday of that first week, I went out for a steak!  A friend of 18 years was with me and she actually took out her iPhone and took pictures.  I guess she thought she needed evidence.  It was lent and the waiter was going on and on about the fish specials for lent.  I responded “I’m eating meat for lent”.  Now that I think about it, after not eating meat for 20 years, I think I have lent covered for the rest of my life.  Another thing I noticed was that after years of having trouble sleeping and waking up on average 3 times in the middle of the night, now I was not only sleeping through the night but falling asleep much faster. AMAZING

Day One

I bought an Ostrim stick at the gym, this is a beef and ostrich meat stick (very low in fat).  Zach, the owner had to virtually hold my hand through just purchasing this piece of carnage. I had planned to reintroduce meat to my body over a weekend as I was leery of what might happen to my digestive system after not have eaten meat in 20 years.  I took my stick home, ate half of it, and was so full that I couldn’t eat any more.  In addition, my mind was clearer, I felt more energetic, and more peaceful, content in a way.  After all that anxiety, the exact opposite happened.  Instead of my body rejecting this dead animal, it was having a party.

Introduction

There is a Buddhist saying that goes something like ‘when the student is ready the teacher will appear’.   A book by the title The Paleo Solution, the Original Human Diet appeared just as I was ready to become a carnivore after twenty years of vegetarianism.  Robb Wolf, the author and a fellow recovering vegetarian, uses anthropology, science, nutrition, etc to explain why humans are suppose to eat a Paleo Diet.  I had never thought anyone would be able to convince me to eat meat again.  Robb Wolf did. 

Throughout this voyage into meat eating I have not only changed in how I think about eating meat but my body has changed for the better.  Psychologically I have gone through so much in the past month that many friends suggested I start writing down everything I am processing hence; the creation of this blog.

I will also be tracking my food and workouts so I have a full log of how my training and diet work together.  As of the first month I have gained 4 pounds of muscle.  The training center I work out at monitors clients fat percentage and body composition so I will report updates on these results as well.